1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the packaging arts. More particularly, the present invention relates to the containers, often made of foamed or solid (unfoamed) polystyrene sheet material, in which food, especially that intended to be purchased at a restaurant or similar establishment and consumed off-premises, is packaged.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art is replete with examples of containers of the subject type. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,915,251 to Payne discloses a thermoformed plastic carton constructed from two half sections which are integrally connected along one side by a hingable joint to allow the half sections to be folded upon each other. The carton also includes resiliently deflectable latches extending up from an edge of one carton half which each mate with and become lodged in a receptacle in the other carton half section when the carton half sections are folded one upon another.
One of the two half sections, the base, is formed with one or more compartments for receiving food. As illustrated in the patent, the base has three such compartments. The lid, that is, the other of the two half sections, has no compartments. Clearly, when the carton is closed, the three compartments, each possibly having a different food item, are not isolated from one another. As a consequence, a warm item in one of the compartments will lose heat to the entire interior of the closed carton. This may not present a problem unless an item in another compartment, such as a salad, is better when kept cold.
In view of the above, there has been a need for a multi-compartment container having compartments which are isolated from one another when the container is closed. That need is met by the present invention.